Íñigo Pérez laments Rayo's last-gasp heartbreak at the Bernabéu

Rayo Vallecano boss Íñigo Pérez cut a frustrated figure after watching his side concede a 99th minute penalty to lose at the Bernabéu, despite what he felt was a superior performance against the Spanish giants.

Pride despite defeat

The Rayo manager was clearly gutted in his post-match comments but couldn’t hide his pride in how his team performed against Carlo Ancelotti’s men. Despite the painful manner of the defeat, Pérez was adamant his side had shown they could mix it with the big boys.

“Eleven against eleven we were superior,” he stated, in what will raise a few eyebrows among the Madrid faithful. It’s a bold claim, but for large stretches of the match, Rayo did indeed look the more cohesive unit.

Red mist descends

The game’s complexion changed dramatically with Pathé Ciss’s dismissal for a challenge on Dani Ceballos. While Pérez didn’t criticize his player too harshly, he acknowledged the impact it had on proceedings:

“Pathé Ciss is vital. Sometimes excess energy leads to these situations. I prefer he’s sent off for this rather than other situations.”

Even down to ten men, Rayo continued to frustrate Los Blancos until the dying moments when the penalty was awarded.

Mental barriers

Interestingly, Pérez spoke about the psychological challenge of playing at the Bernabéu, suggesting his half-time team talk focused on removing the mental handbrake:

• Players can feel intimidated by the Madrid shirt
• The stadium creates pressure in the final third
• His team needed to “release the brake” to compete

Nine minutes of agony

The nine minutes of added time ultimately proved Rayo’s undoing, though Pérez admitted he expected a lengthy extension. What he didn’t anticipate was his team conceding during this period, as he felt they’d been defending well.

For Rayo, it’s a case of what might have been. They came to the capital with ambition rather than merely to park the bus, and for that, neutrals will give them credit. But in the Premier League, we’d call this a proper kick in the Khyber. So close, yet so far.